Sudeep Dalvi seen addressing the meet.
To commemorate the birth anniversary of the late Fr. Bismarkque Dias at
Kala Academy’s Black Box in Panjim, a
meeting was held by the friends of the late revolutionary priest whose
visionary thoughts and statements boldly expressed not only from his home
village St. Estevaum but also from all over Goa namely Panjim – some villages in Salcette, Mapusa and Terakol on
tomorrow’s Goa, frightened the persons wielding power in their hands to mete out
to him severe punishment which they succeeded finally coming thru the back door
to liquidate him. Though they succeeded
in physically eradicating him from our
midst but they will never eradicate his vision and thoughts which are ingrained
deeply in our veins, i.e his followers.
Because of this the huge number of his followers though they may be
silent for the time being but one day they will come out openly with vociferous
chants and will overwhelm the streets of Goa to demand justice for the late fr.
Bismarque. Though due to lethargic attitude of many of the Goans failed to
attend this meet yet thru this meet it was once again proved that he is still
alive and not dead.
If Portuguese even with minus the dictatorship
of Salazar were ruling in Goa now then the culprits who were responsible behind the
dastardly act against the innocent priest, would apprehend those responsible
for committing this cowardly act against Fr. Bimarque. And then after
conducting the fair and unbiased trial would pass a sentence that even afterwards
criminals would get frighten to commit more crimes. But this did not happen because Portuguese
were already uprooted from Goa in 1961 and instead Bharati Portuguese conquered
our Goa. Earlier Portuguese conqueror
Afonso de Albuquerque conquered Goa and established Portuguese rule over
Goa. Between the two conquests, the
latter conquest was unbearable stinking with corruption in every segment of
government machinery and society as a whole.
The Portuguese may be responsible to convert us into Christianity but
definitely they were responsible for giving us good discipline and making us
good law abiding citizens unlike the Bharati citizens from beyond the borders
of Goa. I don’t think I and people like
me would acquire such a high moral character and good discipline if Portuguese
were not settled in Goa.
The agenda for this meeting on Sunday was dwelled on three points,
namely Education, Employment and Election since these topics were of utmost
importance to Fr. Bismarque for his campaign to protect Goa. There were 5
panelists to discuss these topics two from the delegation of 5 activists who
came from Bihar - one was doctor and the
other a Phd student while one from Poona University and the remaining from Goa
University. The discussion was well conducted and as a member of the audience A.
Veronica Fernandes participated too when he clarified one point raised by one Goan
panelist who said the educational development took place in Goa after
1961. Refuting this, A.Veronica said it
was not correct, the actual development of education took place with the
arrival of Governador Vassalo e Silva somewhere in 1957/8 the last Portuguese Governor of Goa. Immediately after commencing his official
duty as Governor of Goa, he promulgated a law making Portuguese primary
education compulsory for any Goan child attaining the age of 6 otherwise heavy
fine was imposed. Thru this method the
Portuguese Governador forced the education even on ordinary common person and
because of this educational background ordinary Goan child learnt to eradicate
the social discriminations rampantly practiced in Goa then.
It should be also known well that education was flourishing in Goa both
in English and in Portuguese much before Portuguese Governor Vassalo e Silva made
it compulsory. For example, the Goa
Medical College was the oldest in Asia, the St. Joseph’s High School at Arpora
was established over 2 centuries back which was catering to the students from
all over Goa. Portuguese government never
suppressed Goan child from acquiring education
however poor and low caste that student be.
If poverty stricken Goans failed to get education then it was because
these Goans could not afford to do so for lack of financial resources. In view
of these the poor Goan youth instead of going to school they were sent by their
unalphabet parents to the fields or to work at their Bhattkar’s place as
domestic workers or sent them to Bombay.
Sudeep Dalvi the main person behind this meet compeered the
proceedings.
A.Veronica Fernandes.
